Construction begins on Horns Rev 3

Construction work has begun on Denmark's largest offshore wind farm, Horns Rev 3. It is the first time in five years that an offshore wind farm will be built in Denmark.

Vattenfall (link is external) has commenced the installation of the first of a total of 49 foundations for Horns Rev 3 in the North Sea. The foundations consist of 40-50-metre monopiles made of steel, with a diameter of 6.5 metres. The monopiles are driven about 30 metres into the seabed and will support MHI Vestas' 8.3 MW wind turbines that are presently some of the world's most powerful turbines.

Before the construction could begin, seabed preparations had to be carried out, including a geological survey and a subsequent detonation of old naval mines. Due to noise concerns, a support vessel is being used to place an air bubble installation on the seabed around the construction site. The installation creates a sound-absorbing, double layer of air bubbles that protect marine mammals in the area.

The construction work will take place in an 88 square kilometers area in the North Sea, at least 34 km off the west coast of the Danish Jutland Peninsula. When the 406 MW offshore wind farm is complete, it will provide enough power to satisfy the annual electricity consumption of 425,000 Danish households.

"Horns Rev 3 is the first of three offshore farms that Vattenfall will construct in Denmark in the coming years. These wind farms will, in the highest degree, contribute to our strategy to have a fossil free energy production within one generation ," says Gunnar Groebler, head of Vattenfall´s Wind Business. In addition to Horns Rev 3, Vattenfall will construct the Danish Kriegers Flak and Vesterhav South and North wind farms in the years ahead.